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Happy Friday! And what a special Friday it is! Up To Speed Live host Diana Alvear explained why today’s special and shared the following updates:

Weekly recap

Monday: Andy and Celebrity Intern Adi Wineland quizzed us on all of the great entertainment content we offer our wireless customers on select plans. Talk about value!

Tuesday: We gave you a good look at the Verizon 5G Multiview Experience and how it’s changing the way fans in the stadium will experience football games.

Thursday: Hut hut! With a special episode of ‘Up To Speed Center’ we got everyone hyped up for the all employee 4Q Huddle taking place October 1. We’ll gather together virtually to kick off the always critical fourth quarter with an all-star lineup, including CEO Hans Vestberg!

iPhone 13 launch day

The moment so many of us have been waiting for has finally arrived: iPhone 13 is here! And because our new customers, existing customers, and business customers deserve nothing but the best, Verizon is making it easier than ever to upgrade to a new iPhone 13. Current and new Verizon customers can get a 128-gigabit iPhone 13 Pro on us when with a select trade-in — damaged phones included — on qualified Unlimited plans. Plus, customers who move their phone number to Verizon can get up to $500 to help make that switch.

We heard from excited customers waiting in line for our stores to open this morning. We also heard our retail V Teamers from across the country talk about this incredible deal.

“Every year everybody is excited about the new iPhone and this year is no exception,” reported Retail Specialist A.J. Nocera from Cleveland, OH.

“I’m excited for the fourth quarter,” said Zac Harrell of Brandon, FL. “That includes the iPhone launch, the holidays, getting the phones and putting the newest technology under the tree.”

Watch the video above to hear from customers and Retail Specialist Jennifer Johnson of Cleveland, OH, and Assistant Manager Rene Toiric of Miami, FL. And don’t miss our V Teamers from across the country who pitched in to create a TikTok Chop dance to help promote this great deal! Thanks to all for their help.

For more details or to get your hands on the new iPhone 13, head to the My Verizon app, Verizon.com, or come hang out with our retail V Teamers at a nearby Verizon store.

Global Citizen Live

Are you ready to rock for a good cause? Top music acts will perform this weekend at the Global Citizen concerts in cities around the globe with a mission to connect the world, defend the planet and defeat poverty. Global Citizen aligns with our Citizen Verizon responsible business plan — which centers on Digital Inclusion, Climate Protection and Human Prosperity — and through which we continue to support initiatives dedicated to economic, environmental and social advancement..

To celebrate, 20 lucky V Teamers were awarded tickets to attend the event in Los Angeles or New York City. “I’m excited to have been selected to attend the Global Citizen concert,” said Consumer Sales District Manager Neisha Darlington of New York, NY. “I absolutely love the commitment by Global Citizen to eliminating poverty around the world and it directly aligns with our commitment as a company to social responsibility and improving human prosperity. Thank you so much!”

Our thanks to Neisha, Eric Hall, Bernadette Carrillo and Michael Perez for their fantastic videos.

As a reminder: You don’t need a concert ticket to join the fun. Check out the 24-hour Global Citizen livestream on YouTube starting at 1 PM ET, and tune into ABC this Sunday night at 7 PM ET for an hour-long special that includes behind the scenes footage. There is even a Snap lens you can use to post and share with friends. For more information, visit GlobalCitizen.org.

Serving U.S. Air Force bases

We have great news to celebrate this week from our public sector team. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has selected Verizon Public Sector to deliver its 5G Ultra Wideband mobility service to seven Air Force Reserve Command installations. The bases are located in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The deployment will include C-band radios installed outdoors at each AFRC facility, bringing higher speeds, increased bandwidth and lower latency for the base personnel and the surrounding community.

So far, Verizon is delivering 5G and other enhanced wireless network services across 17 Air Force bases throughout the United States. Verizon’s 5G network is helping U.S. military leadership fulfill its most strategic digital transformation priorities. These innovations include supporting flight line test equipment, animated simulation and training, full-motion, high-definition video to support telemedicine for its airmen, and ultra-fast artificial intelligence for biometric identification.

Serving a hard hit Texas County

Verizon Frontline will deliver connectivity and smartphones for the Harris County, Texas Emergency Services District No. 11 for use in trucks and ambulances to help achieve their mission and better serve the County’s residents. Great work there earning their business!

Celebrating kindness

V Teamer Jodi Hanke, a client services manager from the Business Group, shared her Kindness selfie at the Phoenix Kindness mural. We may have a mural in your city - head to our Call for Kindness page to find out more.

Next Monday

We’ll have another Up To Speed Live at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT with host Andy Choi and a special someone so make sure to tune in.

If you have any questions, email them to live@verizon.com.

Click here for a transcript of the webcast.

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